A Gypsy Life For Me

A Gypsy Life for me

Whether they are avoiding eviction in Celebrity Big Brother or being ejected from Dale Farm, Gypsies and Travellers continue to fascinate the British media.

In a brand new series BIO.™ goes beyond the headlines to meet key figures in the travelling community to understand the colourful and often controversial Gypsy world. Commissioned exclusively for BIO comes a brand new look at real people who live extraordinary lives in A GYPSY LIFE FOR ME.

The series takes us across the UK to get an understanding of Travellers’ culture by going to locations such as Dale Farm, The Epsom Derby, the Lee Gap Horse Fair in Yorkshire and a festival Evangelical for born-again Christian Gypsies hosted by the Light and Life Gypsy Evangelical Church in Essex.

Following news stories and stereotyping, accused by some of the Gypsy community as being biased and exploitative, Jake Bowers, a Romany Gypsy journalist for The Travellers’ Times and Tracy Nedic who are both co-promoters of “Traveller’s Got Talent” are on a mission to improve the portrayal of the Gypsy people in the British media.

The pair intends to improve the Gypsy image by showcasing the history, culture, and most importantly the talents of the Traveller’s community through a national talent competition.

We follow Jake and Tracy as they plan the contest with their select team of gifted judges through the tears, tantrums and tiaras as they whittle down the cream of the travelling community from the length and breadth of the British Isles in their search for the next Gypsy star.

Tracy Nedic says: “This is the third year for this competition and it has continued to grow year on year to become a big success. By showcasing the talent of my people we are able to offer an insight into our lives, our culture and heritage to the rest of the world.”

Jake Bowers, promoter of “Travellers Got Talent” says: “The Gypsy and Traveller community is considered to be guilty of many things but capable of nothing, so this series will bypass the crude stereotypes and reveal a nation that has survived for over a thousand years. By throwing open the doors on the Gypsy and Travellers’ own annual talent contest we will be revealing the tales and talents of those determined to follow in the footsteps of other famous performers with Gypsy heritage such as Charlie Chaplin, Cher Lloyd and the Gypsy Kings.”

There will be singing, dancing, fashion statements and surprising performances along the way with the colourful members of the Gypsy world before the national road-show reaches its climax in the London final.

With access to Jake’s hunt for stories to fill his newspaper, we also explore Travellers’ rights and Travellers’ wrongs, lifestyles and evictions as well as learning about Gypsy history and culture. 

Starts on Bio (Sky 156 & Virgin 242) on 15 November at 9pm.